The construction sector must remove the barriers preventing young people from embarking on careers in the industry…
The government has big plans for house building and infrastructure. However, those plans hang in the balance due to a national skills crisis.
Now, Ministers have called upon the industry to remove barriers and help more young people to consider careers in construction.
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis and Skills Minister Nick Boles said the construction industry must examine its current business models and determine if these are in fact preventing skills development. Both ministers said new models of construction, such as offsite manufacturing, could also be considered.
Lewis said: “The number of new homes is up 25 per cent in the last year – and this is further proof we’ve got the country building again and delivering the homes the nation wants.
“This means thousands of jobs are now up for grabs and we’re determined to make sure that there are enough skilled workers to get the job done.
“Construction offers an exciting and rewarding career and we need to build a new generation of home grown talented, ambitious and highly skilled construction workers.”
In a bid to discover what skills the construction industry needs to provide infrastructure and homes promised by the government, the Construction Leadership Council has been asked to undertake a review. Mark Farmer, of real estate and construction consultancy Cast, will lead this, identifying actions that will bring more workers to the industry.
The review will investigate measures that could be implemented to encourage more investment in the sector and new ways of working. Views will also be sought on how to train a workforce that suffers high levels of self-employment.
Farmer expressed his delight at leading the review and said affirmative action needed to be taken to prevent acute skills shortages in the future.
“A healthy and robust construction sector is vital to underpinning the government’s commitment to delivering critical new housing and infrastructure projects,” he said.
“It will also ensure the unrivalled economic multiplier effect related to construction activity continues to play its part within the wider UK economy.
“The industry needs to seize the opportunity to celebrate the vital contribution it makes and, in partnership with government and other key stakeholders, ensure it overcomes the current barriers to fulfilling its potential.”
The construction sector is undoubtedly blooming after facing a difficult period in the wake of the 2008 recession, during which time a quarter of a million construction jobs were lost. The government’s drive to increase construction projects across the nation saw some 100,000 new jobs created in England alone last year. However, a lack of skilled workers still remains a significant problem for the sector, one that could easily unravel the government’s plans and targets for this parliament.
